1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus, an image processing method, and a program to execute an image processing method and, more particularly, to a technique of determining, in accordance with an operation environment at the time of PDL printing, whether to automatically re-evaluate an attribute determined by an application and a PDL analysis process upon PDL data printing.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recent copying machines are expanding functions at remarkable speed by digitizing internal image processing. Examples of fundamental functions are a copy function of duplicating a document, and a PDL function that enables printing of a document created in a host computer. In addition to these functions, a copying machine has a SEND function of externally sending a document from the copying machine via a network, and a BOX function that allows storing, in the copying machine, a document image generated by the copy function or PDL function and reuse it. There are also provided many other functions including editing functions such as combining and bookbinding using a document image stored in the copying machine by the BOX function.
On the other hand, the demand for image quality is high, and to meet the requirement for higher document reproducibility, a copying machine is steadily raising its image processing resolution from 600 dpi to 1,200 dpi, and then to 2,400 dpi, and the number of signal bits from 8 bits to 10 bits, and then to 12 bits. Memories and storages are added to store bitmap data with an enormous amount of information for internal processing, and a high-end CPU replaces a conventional one. This drives up device and development costs to a non-negligible level.
The functions use a technique of obtaining higher image quality in PDL data printing by dividing objects into attributes such as Text, Graphics, and Image. Text can increase image quality by high resolution halftone processing and edge processing for suppressing jaggy. Graphics uses high resolution halftone processing, and Image uses high-tone halftone processing or the like to obtain higher image quality.
There also exists a technique of generating vector data by vectorizing bitmap data, and an OCR technique of converting bitmap data into font data.
A technique of executing vectorization for only designated vectorization target object (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-159517), and a technique of designating an object type on a driver (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-253125) are also available.
In the above-described conventional techniques, however, if an application has sent text data not of textual attribute but of image attribute or graphical attribute, a user always needs to input, at the time of processing, an attribute correcting instruction for appropriate image processing. Even in a client operation environment (e.g., application, OS, or PDL type) where mismatch between data and its attribute never occurs, and a correcting instruction is unnecessary, the attribute correction processing prolongs the output time.
If an attribute correcting instruction needs to be issued for data containing many objects, searching for a target object is very time-consuming.